By Evelyne Syombua
(issyombua@gmail.com)
Thumbnail Photo Courtesy of Julius Kilile.
In the words of the late Nelson Mandela, “There is no easy walk to freedom anywhere.” Daystar Students set out to prove this point in the Inter-campus debate held at the main campus in Athi River, July 30.
The audience was eager and they flocked to the venue of the event to listen, learn and support their colleagues.
The participants from both campuses came prepared, as points from them all were valid. It was a heated debate and the audience also contributed through questions and comments. Also opinions regarding the participants’ different points and the motion of the day.
Passion was spelled on the participants’ faces as they each defended their points and their teams under the motion of the day: A united Africa is a far-fetched and outdated idea that can never be realized.
The audience was a bit of a killer joy with some of them not understanding the motion and posing questions that were not aligned with it.
According to the Oxford dictionary far-fetched means unlikely and unconvincing. The proposers were not against the idea of having a united Africa. They were rather of the idea that this will take a while before it happens. They went ahead to give reasons like corruption, dependency on foreign aid, and other reasons as examples.
The opposers on the other side called the proposers out for “betraying Africa” by stating that it is possible to achieve this unity regardless of the current state of African Countries. They supported this by urging the youth, who make up the highest percentage of Africa’s population to be the change.
Having corrupt leaders does not mean having corrupt youths and corrupt generations, standing up against corruption, and being the change that is the call.
The opposers were championing for change in the view of the dream of a united Africa and its possibility of not being founded on the current circumstances. As Mahatma Gandhi said, “Be the change you want to see in the world.”